Stop Watch
by Tankou001
Summary: The exciting side story to Pulchritudinous. This Story revolves around Lee and Chihara. What will Lee do when the woman he has so desperately fallen in love with is faced with life in a cell? M for citrus, swearing, violence and drug reference/use.
1. Green Beast Meets The Stop Watch

Stop Watch

A Lee x OC fanfiction

Hey all! Tankou001 here with an all new fanfiction! (WOO!!!) Now for any of you that have read Pulchritudinous and Quintessence thus far this is a fic for you. In Pulchritudinous and Quintessence Lee is married to Chihara, a moon country woman who possesses a kekkei genkai that directly manipulates time, slowing or speeding it up in individuals or areas. This is the story of their meeting and thus also their coupling and the relationship that ensues thereafter. Now don't think I am just playing favorite with Lee here. I wholeheartedly intend to write fics for all of the openly recognizable couples in Pulchritudinous so far, even Sai's current relationship with Gaman Aryū in Quintessence and any subsequent relationships that happen in the future in that fic series. In truth all of them will tie into the plot line of Pulchritudinous/Quintessence. Of course Chouji may or may not be absent in most of these. The only one I may not include as far as Pulchritudinous/Quintessence couples go would more than likely be Kiba x Ayame due to the fact that I am lazy though no doubt I will get the muse for it and stick their fic up as well.

As you may have noted, the title of this fic is significantly less flashy than the titles of Pulchritudinous and Quintessence and the chapter names will be similarly less amazing. I just don't feel like making the rhymes or alliterations nor did I feel like hauling out my thesaurus to look for a fancy, incomprehensible name fr this fic and the other ones I will be making. My ChouNata Trilogy (Pulchritudinous, Quintessence and the next one) is going to be the only fic series based around rhymes, alliteration and fancy fic names.

For any of you who would like to know this fic takes place when all of the rookies are 20, meaning Rock Lee will be 21 in this fic XP

Enjoy!!!

{HR}

Chapter One: Green Beast Meets The Stop Watch

Rock Lee sat on the ship that was steadily heading to the moon country. Years ago Lee had traveled to the Moon Country and made a great friend of a boy there. He was returning to see that child, no doubt a grown man now and ready to take over the thrown of his kingdom. Still the ocean voyage was a long one and full of peril that no ninja controlled. A storm was rolling in and several of the occupants of the ship feared the approaching clouds, black as night as they closed in on the small ship. Lee thought it would be best if he stepped in. The voice of a ninja, albeit a comically dressed one, would no doubt be fair news to any frightful passengers. It turned out that even though Lee was an established ninja and had given his thoughts to the passengers that the crew and he as well would keep them safe few people were able to calm down. Few passengers calmed to a state of mind less than complete paranoia and only one seemed outwardly calm in the slightest. This one passenger, however, caught Lee's eyes in a big way.

She was a young woman, maybe 19 years old at most. She had long black hair and around her neck lay a gold chain with a pocket watch for an amulet. The young woman wore clothes of white with little black patterns dotting the cloth. Her skin was the most fine alabaster that Lee had ever set eyes upon and her stunning blue eyes made her appearance even more attractive in the eyes of the Konoha ninja. She couldn't have been too tall, maybe five and a half feet tall at most, her whole body a slender, yet voluptuous mixture of toned muscle and well placed curves that defined a true woman's figure. Lee had, two years previous, lost his battle to win Sakura's heart against Uchiha Itachi; the Uchiha having found Sakura while she was on a mission, the rosette haired female healing him from blindness and helping to bring his previous crimes to a close. Since Sakura had chosen Itachi over Lee the green clad ninja had been surprisingly willing to move to greener pastures and search out another beautiful woman. This woman happened to fit the bill rather nicely, but how was he to approach a woman so wonderful? Lee doubted this woman, a simple civilian of the Moon Country no doubt, would fall for the dramatic confession that Lee placed on Sakura back in their genin days. Lee had long learned, even beyond his normal comedic mannerisms, that such direct attempts hardly ever worked. He would have to get closer to this beautiful maiden through other, more subtle attempts. It wasn't as if she would simply fall into Lee's arms out of the blue.

Regardless of Lee's immediate infatuation with this new, seemingly carefree woman here were much more important things one hand, most specifically the approaching storm. Soon enough the small transport ship was assaulted by powerful gusts of wind and immense waves that attacked the craft with inexhaustible force. Even Lee struggled about as the massive waves and harsh winds blew over the main deck, most passengers having fled to the safety of the hold or at least tied themselves off as they assisted with baling water and other various functions about the ship. Lee stumbled to the pilot and spoke out, his yelling voice barely making it over the storm's thunderous booming, and winds fierce enough to cut off any sound that had to travel more than a foot or so. "Pilot-sama! Do you think we will clear this storm soon?"

The pilot's eyes did not part from he sea ahead but he howled out to Lee in reply. "I can't tell. This storm, with how it is now, could last quite a while or break up entirely in minutes. We just have to hope it passes soon."

An hour went by and the storm only became more fierce. Lee looked around at times for his mystery lady but his thoughts were far more centered on the tasks at hand such as not being thrown from the ship that was his only definite way of reaching land any time soon. Still as the ship leaped over the enormous waves the water grew still and Lee looked around him, the storm around the ship completely present but the ship in a calm area, a ray of sunlight penetrating the column that the ship sat in. The door to the hold opened and Lee looked back, his mystery lady slowly stepping from the hold to see if the storm had passed and beautiful as when Lee has laid eyes on her for the first time. As she stepped toward the edge of the ship her eyes widened, if only just, at the marvelously swirling clouds around the ship, a tapestry that encompass all within her vision all too easily spun into a turbulent storm that could rip the ship apart were it just a bit less tough.

The pilot called out as the ship once again hit the cloud in front of it, the whole vessel shuddering and a snapping noise echoing through Lee's ears. As he turned his head he could see the pilot fighting with wheel and the bow of the boat being ripped clean off, the large guiding pole flying into the surrounding storm. A small scream brought Lee's attention back to his mystery lady and he found that she wasn't there. He raced to the side of the ship to see her splash into the turbulent mass of waves and be swept off into the waters now growing all the more violent around the ship. Without thinking Lee ripped off the rope at his waist and leaped into the massive ocean waves kicking up as the ship reentered the storm. Five seconds of free fall through the windy gusts was enough for Lee to realize just how stupid he was being and an instant after he came to this realization a mass of cold water reached up and engulfed him, sending Lee into a world of chill waves and heavy rainfall. The waves were simply too vast to walk atop and Lee knew that even with his extreme strength and physical prowess besting the agitated sea would be no easy task. Still he couldn't just give up. He was already in the water, why just let himself, or the object of his sacrifice for that matter, die in vain. He heard in the distance a faint call of "man overboard" but didn't wave for help. Lee ran his strong arms through the water and propelled himself forward with his powerful legs. He made little headway but it was significantly more than any normal person would make. Powering through the water Lee spotted a gigantic wave and at the crest of the mighty wave was the target of Lee's sacrifice. The young woman stretched her arm out, seeing Lee, but the green clad Rock Lee was helpless to stop the twenty foot tall wave slamming down upon him with explosive force. He was thrust deeper into the turbulent mass of tropical waves and opening his eyes into the stinging salt sea he spotted the young woman sinking slowly into the abyss of the ocean. Lee would not surface, this woman would die if he did. Quickly the Green Beast of Konoha powered into the deeper ocean, the water growing colder as he swam deeper, eventually biting at his flesh.

Finally Lee's hand caught the had of the young woman and for a moment the whole world seemed to slow. Lee's eyes could pick up the current now and the bubbles trapped in the water that had previously flown past him at great speeds now slowly tottered along through the salt water, making their way lazily through the slowed world around him. What was happening, Lee knew that the world couldn't simply just slow down for him. This had to be some work of divine influence if nothing else. Still Lee pulled up the young woman and forced himself upward. He couldn't breath, he couldn't hold his breath any longer and about ten feet from the surface Lee's lungs gave out, forcing the air he was so desperately trying to hold out into the water around him. Strangely enough Lee didn't need immediate air. He felt no need to breath, at least not as much as would normally be expected and as he hit the surface of the waves and poked his head out into the world above Lee felt the air fly back into his lungs, replenishing the life that Lee had been losing so quickly. In that instant the world again was thrown from sluggish motion to turbulent masses of water crashing down with titanic force and pulling Lee under once more. As he surfaced a life preserver tied to a rope splashed down next to him and the Konoha ninja was all too happy to grab such a life line, soon enough being pulled to the deck of the ship, young woman in hand.

Moments later the young woman had been revived and the two were taken down into the hold as the pilot continued to sail through the gargantuan storm that raged so fiercely above. Lee and the young woman sat in a lone room, covered in blankets and stripped down to all but their skivvies, shivering and waiting for one of the crew to bring them some hot drinks and dry effects. The young woman was the first to speak, her speech slow and completely relaxed despite her most recent tumble into the turbulent waves that raged around the ship. "You saved me didn't you?"

Lee looked to the young woman and smiled slightly. "Yes. I jumped after you and grabbed you before you could drown. I'm Rock Lee."

The young woman smiled. "My name is Tokeiya Chihara. It is wonderful to meet you and was even more wonderful to be saved by you. I know few who would put themselves in such danger for someone such as myself."

Lee looked confused at this. Why would anyone ever decline the chance to put themselves in danger to save such a pure and beautiful young maiden. On top of her beauty she was clearly a rather well mannered individual, her words on how wonderful it was that Lee was the one saving her making the ninja blush slightly. "I don't know why anyone wouldn't save you. It was only right to do so. I, as a ninja, feel it is my duty to save those in need."

Chihara giggled a bit at this. "Well I shall count myself lucky that a ninja has blessed me with his company. I am not widely accepted even in my own country. Many people see me as strange or troublesome." Lee tilted his head, confused at this woman's reasoning. "I have strange abilities. Many people in my home, the Moon Country, believe I am cursed, or the bringer of bad luck. I could give some history on why this is, but I doubt you would understand..."

Lee shook his head wildly. He needed to know how anyone could think such a wonderful woman a cursed individual. "No, please tell me! I can guarantee that whatever your issues I would never judge you because of them!"

Chihara smiled and nodded, beginning to speak. "I have been rather unlucky most of my life my mother and father died when I was young and just about anything that can go wrong in my life tends to do so. Still that is not my main source of prejudice. Long ago my family were ninja, a clan of ninja that traveled the land in search of a home before many of the nations of the Shinobi world were made. They were the Tokeiya Clan. Supposedly they were able to manipulate time to their will, the strongest of members ale to stop time altogether and move freely among the frozen world around them. When I found this ability I used it to do many horrible things which I wish I would have never done and when the village found out they shunned me. I eventually left to go to the mainland but now I am once again coming back to the Moon Country and not to any happy affair. I am set to be imprisoned when I return, never to see the light of day again save for through a barred window." Chihara's eyes welled up with tears at these words, the liquid that threatened to flow free only just managing to keep from falling.

Lee, however, was taken aback at this information. It couldn't have been true. How could someone so outwardly kind and pure have done such things. "But why return? Why are you choosing to come back to the Moon Country to live forever in a cell?"

Chihara shook her head lightly. "As my ancestors said at one point, Lee... The world is a clock and I turn the gears. When I tell the gears to halt they do... I see no reason why such gears can't move faster. I know what I did was wrong. This is what is right to do. I won't live any longer knowing that all the wrongdoings I have committed are just to sit on my conscience forever. I see it better that I turn my gears faster and die quickly in a cell than die slowly in the outside world, knowing that what I do will never be made right."

Lee stood up, the blanket around him billowing slightly. "But this is unfair! What could you have done to deserve such a punishment?"

Chihara looked up at lee, her tears finally falling. "Would you believe me if I told you I killed a man?"

Lee was taken aback by these words. "I would never think that someone so outwardly wonderful as you would do something so horrible!"

Chihara looked back down at the floor. "Well I didn't kill a man... I killed many men... killed five men and six children. I killed four women as well. I did it all because they knew a secret that I didn't want others to know. They knew what I could do and in the act more people saw. When I finally could now longer slow time to suit my needs they caught me and all people knew what I had and could do. So now I am going back to the Moon Country to live in a cell and forever face my imprisonment."

Lee slowly sat back down. It was hard to believe that someone like Chihara, even as little as Lee had seen of her, would have done something like that. Still she was forced into such a position, wasn't she? Someone found out her secret and in her fear she killed some people. Lee could, through some rather strange and twisted means, see how such a position would be completely plausible. He could even see, wracking his brain quite hard to formulate an acceptable circumstance, how killing the people that Chihara did, would even be mildly acceptable, albeit frowned upon in some societies. But those some societies were not necessarily the Moon Country and Seldom did people weigh the mitigating factors and extenuating circumstances when the situation was murder of several seemingly innocent people. In Lee's mind many things could have been explained to make them the right decision, if not all things wrong. After all even to a man who strove for righteousness such horrific acts of doubtlessly evil intent could be explained with enough time and those willing to listen. "But couldn't you explain?"

Chihara again shook her head. "And say what, Lee-kun? Would I tell them that I didn't want my secret to get out so I murdered five families? Would I tell them that, how I saw it, murder was the only way to keep from getting in trouble? I don't think such things would be listened to. I am lucky enough, as it is, that they will feed me and clothe me and keep me alive in the cell that I will eventually die in. Normally such a thing as what I did would deserve instant death. I am lucky enough to stay in the comfort of life albeit such a life will be a miserable one full of thrown rocks, garbage and sticks intermingled with harsh words and hostile glares. I deserve this fate, Lee-kun. Let it happen for what it is."

Lee couldn't believe anyone would simply let all of this happen to them. The simple fact that Chihara was traveling back to the Moon Country because of her horrible crimes so as to serve her penalty made her something of a saint in the Konoha nin's eyes. What person who was truly an evil one would willingly return to their crime scene not to revel in the memories of their atrocities but instead to righteously face their punishment and face the fact that they had done wrong? No, Chihara wasn't a bad person. She had simply been under less than ideal circumstances. "Then I will stay at your village while you serve your time!" Lee stated grandly.

Chihara looked up at Lee, her head turning slowly. "But why would you do such a thing, Lee-kun? I deserve this. You will spend the rest of my life and more than likely the rest of your own at my side as I rot in jail?" Lee nodded, smiling. Chihara sighed and shook her head. "Lee-kun, I cannot let you do such a thing. You have done no wrongs. In fact you of all people deserve to be free of such things if only for the fact that you risked your life to save a criminal such as myself."

Lee shook his head at this. "But you are no criminal, Chihara-chan. What true criminal would face their charges willingly? You are doing the right thing, not fleeing your fate. You were thrust into a situation of unfair circumstance and that alone is not your fault. It was a decision made under duress and such things, although unfair, are seldom valid!"

Chihara only smiled sadly and looked to the door just as a crew mate walked in and handed off some hot drinks. Rock Lee thanked th man and soon enough Chihara and Lee were once again alone together, Lee, in the interruption, having lost most any profound words he would have had to say after the man left. Slowly Chihara sipped at her cup, everything Chihara did slow and relaxed. Finally she spoke up. "Lee-kun, you can do what you will, but I warn you... I will never leave that cell and you will waste your life waiting for me to get out. I know I can't stop you but I will advice against it." Lee only grinned at this. He would free this woman from her unjust punishment and win her love. Surely his ways of youth and righteousness would prevail in proving Chihara innocent. After all how unforgiving could the people of Chihara's village be?

Two days later Lee got his answer. As Chihara stepped into the village where she would spend her time the first greeting she got was rock tossed directly at her head, Lee not noticing it fast enough to slap it away and as such Chihara was stricken with a blow to the head, many villagers racing out to take advantage of her weakened state with sticks and more rocks, tossing them at the young woman and making kicks at her with nobody seeming to care save for the chance to get a strike in themselves. It pained lee too much to stand idle and he raced in, knocking villagers aside to protect Chihara. "What are you all doing? This is no proper greeting!"

"No!" A voice ahead called, Lee's attention driven to a tall woman who stood maybe ten yards off. "This isn't a greeting. This is a sentence to this monster's eventual death. We all want her to know just how vile she is and that even if she is returning to us to face the consequences of her actions she will remain forever despised." The woman stepped forward, the angry mob surrounding Lee and Chihara dispersing slightly, Chihara lying on the ground already covered in cuts with bruises forming on her alabaster flesh.

Lee looked at the tall woman leaning down beside Chihara. "She has come to serve her time. You should consider yourselves lucky that she would come back here knowing full well what awaited her."

The woman scowled. "This monster brings no luck... I don't know who you are but you seem to be her keeper, maybe her escort. I thank you for escorting her here, but we will no take her off your hands."

Lee shook his head, rising to his full height and looking down at the woman. "I am not her keeper or escort. I saved her in a storm and now I will stay by her side until she is done serving her time."

The tall woman only grinned at this. "So I may as well know your name for you will remain here for the rest of her life. Welcome to the village, strangely dressed man."

"My name is Rock Lee." Lee stated, a look of anger about his face. "I am sure that soon enough Chihara-chan will earn her freedom from your cell. I know that the power of youth will prevail over false consequence!"

The tall woman was slightly taken aback, but soon burst into laughter. "Oh, you are a funny one." She pat Lee on the shoulder. "Well, I suppose it will be nice to have some ridiculous humor within the village. I hope you have your assets all settled out. My name is Ayama. Maga Ayama, he head f this village. If you have any problems then ell me about it and I will make sure they are dealt with if it is within my power. Still if you are to stay here for this monster then be a dear and bring her to the jail at the end of town."

Lee scowled and picked up Chihara, carrying her a mile or so until he saw a small hut with barred windows. That would have to be the jail. He stepped in and set Chihara down outside the cell. "If you are to be sentenced it is only right that you step in yourself, Chihara-chan."

Chihara only looked at Lee and then to the cell before slowly striding inside, sitting at the far end on a bench. "Thank you, Lee-kun... You didn't have to do all of that though."

Lee, for once in his life, didn't bother responding. He sat at the corner until Ayama again showed up, slamming the cell door closed and giving Lee a smile. "Well thanks for that but now you won't have to watch after her. It's not like anyone is gonna break into jail just to get at her. Unfortunately for you the village is short on houses. Every home here is taken and we don't exactly build extra housing for the hell of it. In a few months time we will have a house up for you if you like, or you could just stay here with your sweetheart and watch her rot."

Ayama chuckled but Lee stood up and addressed the village head. "I will build my own home next to this building. Nobody needs to help, I can make it myself." Ayama looked confused for a moment but soon nodded and left the two behind. Lee turned to Chihara and smiled. "I will stay with you as long as I need to, Chihara-chan. You don't deserve to be put away like this. I'll help you get free."

Chihara blushed a bit but Lee walked out quickly, ready to get to work on his new home. In a day he was already making all of the framework, having gone to the nearby forest and harvested enough trees to make a cabin. Soon enough he was pulling the sides up and after two more days Lee had set up the entire cabin, only needing now to finish the place up. He installed a door and windows and the whole village watched as the four complete days went by that Lee constructed his new home, the strength of the Konoha Nin astounding even Ayama, who remained smiling, yet somehow Lee knew that the tall woman was secretly unhappy that he was staying. When finally finished Lee had set up a small cabin right next to the one room jail that Chihara now lived in, only a few paces away from the woman that he had fallen for less than a week before. The next thing he did was send a message to Konoha. He was telling Tsunade in such a letter that he couldn't return as early as planned. Something had come up, something urgent and unable to be ignored. He informed her in his letter that he would keep in contact, however.

Not bothering to wait for another letter Lee set out into his new life in The Moon Country. His old acquaintance would have to wait for Lee swore to Chihara that he wouldn't leave her behind for any amount of time aside from to eat and such things that even Lee knew he needed to do to stay alive. Steadily Lee grew into the community over the next couple of weeks. Everyone, even the most spiteful of villagers knew Lee's reason for staying, the drive that kept him around yet he was not directly linked to Chihara's dreaded past. There was no reason to shun the green clad ninja even if he was smitten with the Stop Watch of a woman that remained trapped within the jail hut just next door to him. In fact he was relatively well accepted right away. Even Ayama's hidden hatred of him in the weeks following his official construction of his home, began to arm up to Lee on a level past that of her previously shown humorous denial of his ability to last in such a community.

Meanwhile Chihara who had, for weeks, been locked away in the cell, grew almost comfortable with her position. After all Lee visited her every day, his presence keeping others from throwing the rocks and sticks through her barred window that, without him, would have been ever present in her life stay in the cell. She was fed well enough, though the food was never quite appetizing. Still on occasion Lee would sneak her in a bowl of curry, or a bit of fish roast that would always take her mind from her ever present dilemma of constant imprisonment. The mat on the floor in which she slept at first highly uncomfortable, was made significantly more bearable as Lee, one evening, snuck in a padded mattress for Chihara to hide under her already present, large mat to sleep on. Weeks had already gone by and although Chihara was stuck in the confines of her cell Lee was slowly capturing her heart and taking her thoughts from her body to a world far more pleasant. She was, every day, brought to a time where she didn't have to worry about keeping her secrets or need to run from her own feelings because of Lee's presence. She didn't ever even notice that the weeks had gone by so quickly or that Lee was truly wasting the life that Chihara had warned him he would throw away on a false hope.

Sitting in her cell, toying with a small toy Lee had made for her Chihara thought on things. The little cup and ball that Lee had carved and snuck in had, for the past few days, shown Chihara near endless entertainment as far as such things could be counted in her current condition. Chihara simply had to be quick to hide it when anyone aside from Lee came in. Quickness not exactly Chihara's strong point the young woman instead made everyone else slower to hide her secret playthings hat Lee had so generously given her. It wasn't that any simple child's toy really gave Chihara true enjoyment, but the fact that she had something of any sort to keep her occupied gave Chihara hope. It gave Chihara something to do other than go insane and talk to the walls, believing herself, in the absence of anyone else to talk to, that such walls would actually talk back to her. The steady insanity that Chihara had looked at with such horror never came and Lee proved to, at the very least, always be nearby to talk to, a privilege not even Ayama could deny the young woman.

Slowly the door opened, and noticing this Chihara made the world slow down to an extreme She hid her toy in a straw clump in the corner of her cell and then resumed her place in the middle of the cell, the door only half open. Time resumed normal speed and in walked a young girl, holding a tray of rice with a clearly stale pork bun. These were the normal servings that Chihara received. Anything that wasn't eaten by the villagers Chihara was free a portion of save for a bowl of fresh rice. The little girl looked at Chihara not with anger or hatred as most of the villagers did, but instead with fear. Many children had never seen Chihara, the young woman leaving seven years back to escape the village. Any child under the age of nine wouldn't have understood the true evil that Chihara had shown. Instead Chihara was sure that any parents with such young children would have made Chihara out to be a monster, an object to be feared. As the little girl set the tray down and slip it into Chihara's cell she spoke up, reluctant almost to speak to a beast that her parents had no doubt warned her so much about. "H-Here is you food..."

Chihara slowly reached for the tray and the girl backed off, watching Chihara take the rice bowl and, with her fingers for lack of any utensils, pick up clumps of rice and slowly place them in her mouth. Chihara had long learned even in the short stay so far, that the villagers were something to ignore. This girl was no different. Still the little girl was the speaker, not the imprisoned young woman. "I-Is it true?" Chihara looked at the girl with a slight bit of confusion. What had the older villagers persuaded the belief of this time? "Can you mess with time?"

Chihara saw no reason to deny this girl the knowledge of her true power. No doubt anything of Chihara's abilities that the child knew were horribly skewed from second hand information her parents had twisted horribly. She stopped digging into the rice and placed the bowl on the floor of her cell. "To some degree I can control time and space around me... I cannot, so far as I know, speed it up but I can slow it to a degree. If I used my power I could move at the same speed while you would move very slowly. I could also tap you on the shoulder to make you slow but nobody else. I cannot stop time, or if I can I don't know how and may never."

The girl hesitated. "C-Could you r-reverse it?"

Chihara smiled and slowly shook her head. "That which has been experienced cannot be relived or changed. My clan never had been able to reverse time or travel back. I doubt anyone will ever be able t do that well with time." The girl sighed and Chihara, slightly intrigued, continued to speak. "Why do you ask, little girl?"

The little girl opened her mouth, but started tripping on her words, finally regaining the power of intelligible speech. "M-My father... He died a year ago... I miss him."

Chihara frowned at this. "My parents died a long time ago, no doubt before you were born and for the longest time I tried my hardest to use my powers to go back and see the, to try to make what killed them not happen. I couldn't do it though. Everyone dies for a reason. You father sounds like a good man, no doubt a man that would have hated the fact that you are knowingly conversing with me, but nevertheless a good man. Still know that he is not gone. Your father will forever exist within you. He helped to make you, a process that you may one day learn about. You father will never be far away as long as you keep the memory of him in your mind." Chihara heard, from her window, a call from an adult villager and turned to the little girl. "You best leave now. The others might need your help again."

The little girl nodded and stood, turning to the door. She halted as she opened it, however. "My name is Aya."

Chihara smiled at this. "I am Chihara. It is nice to meet you, Aya-chan. No go run along and play." Soon enough the little girl had left and Chihara was again alone. Still as always Lee came in soon enough and greeted Chihara. He looked a bit tired, but aside from that he seemed fine. "Good evening Lee-kun. It is nice to see you again." Lee smiled at this and nodded at Chihara. "What is the news from outside?"

Lee had always been good about keeping Chihara informed on the outside world, a state that otherwise would have gone completely unknown by the young woman. Lee only smiled stepped closer. "It's all going well. Ayama-san hasn't pried too much on me about my visits here and I have made a new thing to keep you busy, Chihara-chan." From Lee's pocket he pulled a small trinket. It was a piece of string looped on itself and run through a little wooden cube. When Lee showed Chihara what to do it proved rather amusing. Lee swung the cube around on the string and pulled it, making the cube spin around comically. He quickly handed the toy to Chihara. "I wish I could make you something a bit less juvenile but youth pervades the soul and keeps all of us happy, right?" Lee laughed at this and Chihara couldn't help but giggle as well. Lee always made references to the wonders of youth and such things even if he was no longer considered a youth himself. Chihara was nineteen but even though she was a teenager she wouldn't consider herself a youth so much as a budding woman.

Suddenly, however, Chihara came to a realization. She was falling for Lee. It was a state of being that, by no means, was the young woman allowed to sustain. Lee was a ninja; a good man and an able man of great potential. Chihara was holding him back and the past few weeks of his presence had clouded her once flawless judgment. Weeks ago Chihara had told Lee not to stay with her, that he would be wasting his life. He was doing exactly that here and Chihara couldn't let such a wonderful man do such a thing. She could no longer afford to grow attached to anyone, especially not Lee. He had so much to look forward to, so many chances that Chihara would inevitably steal away from him if he remained. Her expression suddenly turned serious. "Lee-kun... I need you to leave this village..." Lee looked confused. "Lee-kun, I will be stuck here forever. In the past few weeks you have made me feel so good, so comfortable in what should rightfully be a prison. You have made me more human than I have the right to be."

Lee stepped to the bars of Chihara's cell. "But you will get out Chihara! I will find a way to let them let you go. It's only a matter of time, and didn't you say you had plenty of that?"

Chihara snapped out at Lee at this, trying her hardest to speed up her voice, make it harsh and violent so as top scare off the man who had made her fall madly in love with him over the past few weeks. "I have all the time in the world but you, Lee-kun, do not! You are wasting your life on me. Go back to your country and be a ninja again like you once were! You have been spoiling me these past few weeks. I am a prisoner, not any normal human being. Please Lee-kun, leave me here to die alone! You have the chance to be loved and have a family. I don't want to deny you that." If any other words could be said they would have been far truer than Chihara's last ones. He did want to deny Lee that chance. She wanted, with all of her heart and soul, to deny Lee the chance to find another woman, the chance to have a family with someone else. She saw, in her mind, her and Lee with little kids and holding each other in each other's arms. This was an impossible future No such thing could ever happen. Lee hesitated and opened his mouth, but Chihara desperate to get Lee away so that he wouldn't see her cry, threw the toy he had given her at him, the little wooden cube hitting him in the forehead. "Leave me along, Lee-kun! Go and live your life, for Kami's sake! I won't hold you back from your potential!"

Lee looked hurt, horrendously so. Chihara had meant everything to him. Even more than his great infatuation for Sakura in his genin years Chihara was a target that he had not only love through her appearance. Chihara wasn't only beautiful but the mos perfect woman for Lee that he had ever found. The fact that she was telling him to leave, that she threw the little toy back at him in an attempt to drive him off hurt the green clan Konoha nin so much that he couldn't speak. He simply turned, a look of half horror and half shock spread about his face. As soon as he was gone Chihara could no longer hold back her tears, bursting into a fit of hysterics as soon as she was sure he wouldn't be able to hear her crying. Her sobbing went on all night and into the next day, the little girl coming in to feed her breakfast and showing concern for her tears. Still Chihara ignored her and waved her off. No little girl should need to worry about Chihara's dilemmas. Slowly Chihara stopped sobbing and finally, mid way through the day looked up as the door opened. It was not Lee nor Aya. It was Ayama. The tall woman only looked down on Chihara smiling. "So I suppose your little romance has ended, huh? I can't say I blame the guy. After all what chance did you two have of making it, really? Still he kept up a strong front. I guess I will be your only company now." Chihara looked up pathetically at Ayama and a look of contemplation went about Ayama's face. "Now that I remember so long ago... Isn't today your birthday, Chihara? I remember when I was younger and less damaged, before you killed my husband that I gave you a present once. It was a little piece of rope with a bell on it. That was so long ago. Well normally I wouldn't be so kind to the woman who killed my husband but I brought a present for you just to remember old times."

Chihara looked at Ayama reach behind her back and pull out a whip. It was long and wrapped in brambles covered with wicked thorns. Chihara's eyes went wide and into her cell walked Ayama, whip in hand. "Now let's see... How old are you now? Nineteen was it? I think that would be a suitable number of lashes... And of course one to help you grow. Turn around so we can get this over with, alright. Only the ones on your back count." Chihara backed off and as Ayama lashed the whip at her no amount of slowing time could keep the whip at bay. Chihara's world went black he first lash which crossed over her face and rendered her unconscious. Why had she ever told Lee to leave?

{HR}

There ya have it! He heart breaking, and at the same time heart catching start of the Stop Watch Fic! Remember Chihara is, of course, gonna be alright and Lee... well He's gotta come back for her some time.

Please review, Please don't flame me too much and please look forward to my second chapter of Stop Watch!

Yours

Tankou001


	2. Long Time No See

Stop Watch

A Lee x OC fanfiction

Hey all! Tankou001 here with an all new Chapter of Stop Watch! So the last chapter delved more into Chihara than I expected it would. I honestly was gonna give all of the whole drama over the course of three chapters but honestly what would I have had Chihara do in a jail cell and how much interesting crap could Lee do in that tiny village anyway? No, now Lee is off to see Hikaru, the prince of the Moon Country. This chapter will be more about Lee than anyone else, similar to how the second and third chapters of Pulchritudinous were all about Chouji. Until Chihara gets free of her cell it's really difficult to do anything with her that is worthwhile.

Enjoy!

{HR}

Chapter Two: Long Time No See

Rock Lee walked through the streets of the capital city of the Moon Country. Depression filled the green clad ninja, the love of his life, honest and truly, having told him to leave her to rot in a jail cell. She had thrown his gifts back at him and told him to leave not for selfish reasons but because he was wasting his life with false hope. This had only made parting that much more difficult. Still Lee supposed he ha come to the Moon Country for a different reason than watching over Chihara. He had come to see Hikaru, the prince of the nation that, many years before, he had made an oath to to be a friend to him forever. Back then Hikaru had been a boy and that was all, a selfish little prince who, in time, learned loss and responsibility. After Lee and his group had left Hikaru had made some major development. Lee was eager to see if those lessons, the oath of friendship that they had made, had stuck.

Soon enough Lee stood at the castle where he knew the king and prince lived. Guards blocked the way and Lee stepped forth to address them. "I am here to see Prince Hikaru of the Moon Country."

One guard smirked at this. "Then you are out of luck, foreigner. His highness wishes not to see anyone right now."

Lee frowned, speaking out at the guard. "I have sent a letter to see him. I was led to believe that my audience would not be denied."

"Well that is what you get for believing things best left out of your mind. Unless you cause a commotion great enough to summon the king personally you aren't getting in. Even then such acts would only sentence you to prison time if not death." The guards laughed at this.

Lee wasn't in the mood for cocky guards right now. He had been tested enough and the depression that he carried was quickly turning to anger. "I demand to see the prince right now." He told the guards.

The other guard mocked Lee by acting as though he was quivering. "Oh no. The mighty green man is demanding the Prince's presence. He may just attack me with his bowl cut if I don't let him i--" The guard wasn't allowed to finish. Lee had had enough, his fist pummeling the man in the face, helmet caving to Lee's strength. The other guard was quick to attack but Lee was far too fast for him, viciously attacking the guard. Seventeen guards later Lee continued beating on five more, all trying to restrain him without getting their faces beaten in. This was a goal far less attainable than simply letting the green clad Konoha nin into the castle of course. Lee was not in the mood to be toyed with.

As Lee swung at yet another oncoming guard an arrow zipped by and Lee felt a scratch on his cheek form. "What nonsense is this? Who dares to attack the royal guard?" Lee didn't recognize the voice but he definitely remembered the marksmanship and looking up he noted Hikaru himself, holding a longbow with yet another arrow trained on him. Hikaru then realized who it was and lowered his arrow. "Lee-kun? Guards, let him go. His man should have been permitted to see me right away. Let him in, get off of him!"

The guards were quick to obey, nodding their heads and apologizing profusely. Lee picked up the two first guards among the already piled up throng of unconscious spear men and hauled them inside, laying them down at Hikaru's feet. "Sorry Hikaru-kun. These guys held me up."

Hikaru looked down at the men and grimaced. "I don't know why father keeps this pair. He has made progress by leaps and bounds but these two only ever cause trouble. Come with me Lee-kun. I have so much to share." Hikaru led Lee into the castle further. He had grown so much and at the same time nothing had really changed. He had longer hair, pulled back in a pony tail, his lasses having been switched out for smaller ones. Still he was largely the same. His voice was a lot deeper, but it still sounded as Hikaru's voice when he was younger. "A lot has happened since you left, Lee-kun. My father has also made a bit of progress towards the better. He isn't such a slob anymore, that is for certain. I have been training in unarmed combat and archery since you guys left eight years ago. What used to be an innate talent with the bow is now a definite skill that I have mastered. I wouldn't say I am quite at the level of your unarmed combat yet, but I think I could definitely take some guys on with my hands before they outnumbered me."

Lee smiled at this. He was glad to know that Hikaru had grown some effort. Before he had only had the innate gift with a bow but now he seemed less cocky, less snobbish, far more like the adult he would soon be expected to be. "I am glad to hear you are doing better."

Hikaru grinned. "Speaking of archery, I'll get a nurse to fix up that cheek of yours. If I had seen you earlier that wouldn't have happened."

Lee felt at his cheek, his hand coming back with some blood on it. He grinned and shook his head. "It'll be alright, Hikaru-kun. I have had much worse. Besides it's just a shallow cu--"

"Lee-kun!!!!" a great. Bellowing and all to familiar voice boomed out through the halls. Lee was caught off guard as a giant man, well muscled caught him about the chest and lifted him into the air, swinging the Konoha nin around for maybe thirty seconds before setting him down. The voice Lee knew as Hikaru's father, the king of the Moon Country. He body, however, was far different. Hikaru's father hadn't grown as Hikaru had. Instead he had shrunk and bulked up. He was the epitome of masculinity now, completely toned and well muscled, standing tall and straight with a grand smile about his face. Lee grinned as a massive hand slammed down on his shoulder rather forcefully. "It's been so long since we last saw each other Lee-kun. How is Naruto-kun doing, or Sakura-chan? Did anyone else come with you?"

Lee smiled nervously and shook his head. "No, Naruto-kun has been busy back home and Sakura also. Kakashi is busy with his daughter." Kakashi and Anko had gotten together rather soon after Lee had made Jounin. Chouji had left for some major trip and right after Shikamaru had gotten married with Temari. It seemed love was now rich in Konoha as just after that Anko married Kakashi. Sakura, only a few months before now had found Uchiha Itachi blind and living as a hermit when on one of her missions. She healed his eyes and the two had quickly fallen in love. Itachi had informed the village of Konoha that the killing of his clan had been an order from the Elders. Soon enough he had been accepted and the two were now inseparable. In truth Naruto was now spending most of his time with Yamanaka Ino. The blond had found something highly attractive in Naruto and now they were hardly ever seen apart, even going so far as to ask for missions together, something Lee suspected was not exactly following protocol. When asked about the trip Naruto, who had been spending some of his free time with Ino, had refused, albeit politely. He told Lee to give Hikaru his best though, which was nice. Sakura had also politely refused, Itachi and her going on a trip to the Wind Country to meet up with Gaara. Lee didn't bother asking Kakashi, his schedule was tight packed with little Anka, the near three years old girl always getting into trouble, a trait Kakashi swore came from Anko rather than him.

Hikaru's father frowned, but soon again smiled. "Well Lee-kun is here, and that alone is good enough for me. So how have you been, Lee-kun?"

Lee smiled. "I have been fine, I suppose..." Just thinking on his mood brought Lee's thoughts back to Chihara, who he was sure hated him now. Why else would she have been so rash?"

"Have you met any nice girls since you left so long ago, Lee-kun?" Hikaru piped up, a gigantic grin spread across his face. "I am sure you can tag at least a few, though I would advice getting a new outfit."

Lee blushed at this. "Actually... there was one girl, but I gave up..."

Hikaru's father boomed out at this. "Why would you do that, Lee-kun? I am sure she liked you. You shouldn't give up so easily."

Lee only shook his head, smiling. "She said it was for the best. There is plenty of Youth left to catch another fish though!" Lee forced a laugh at this and kept walking with the royals. Later on Lee found Hikaru's father walking off, some woman calling to him, more than likely his new wife. Still Hikaru informed Lee that his mother had actually come back to his dad and they had become a couple again, completing the family. Lee was glad to her this. Soon enough Hikaru and Lee were in a training yard, archery range set up and a sparring area where Hikaru informed Lee he practiced his martial arts. Hikaru was quick to show his bow prowess, turning his bow sideward with three arrows and launching them, not only hitting the three targets down range but scoring bullseyes on all three. Lee was suitably impressed for whatever lack of martial arts prowess Hikaru would have possessed he was sure any arrow of Hikaru's would strike true if he wanted it to. "So, Hikaru-kun? Have you found any girls you like?" Lee said, smiling wide.

Hikaru looked back at his friend and hesitated. "Well in truth I have, but I don't think she sees me as anything aside from a prince. There is a girl in the ducal, a duchess of the Moon Country. She seems really nice and I really like her. Apparently she is my eighth cousin something like five times removed. I doubt we have any blood relation anymore. The closest direct relation we have is seven generations ago. Father thinks I should go up to her some time and talk to her, but I don't think I could."

Lee smiled at this. "I am sure you can do it, Hikaru-kun. After all if you like her what should stop you from talking to her. Just gather up some courage and go talk to her. Be nice to her and I am sure she will return your infatuation!" Lee gave Hikaru a thumbs up and the young man smiled. Still what he had said reminded him all the more of Chihara. He was cranking out some pretty big commands despite the fact that he wasn't following them."

Hikaru nodded and led Lee to a bath house. "You probably are tired from traveling. You should get some rest and take a bath. You don't exactly smell good ether after the fight, Lee-kun..." Hikaru smiled as he placed his fingers about his nose comically. In truth Lee didn't smell good at all. He hadn't taken a good bath in days and the fight with the guards had made it all much worse. He nodded. "Perhaps that would be the best choice."

Soon enough Lee and Hikaru were relaxing in a big onsen style bath room. Lee sipped at some tea while Hikaru drank some red wine. He had offered some to Lee but Lee didn't like the taste of alcohol, not to mention Gai tended to keep him away from it personally so it couldn't have been very good for him. Hikaru, however, finally spoke up as soon as he was sure nobody else was around. "Lee-kun... When you talked about that girl you liked... You still like her don't you?"

Lee jumped a bit at this and looked at Hikaru nervously. "Nah, I am over all of that. Trust me Hikaru-kun, I have plenty of other opportuni--"

Hikaru cut in at this. "Where did you meet her? What is she like? Why did you leave her? Come on, Lee-kun, tel me all about it. If you are really over her it should be easy to tell me."

Lee hesitated and Hikaru looked at him with the utmost seriousness. Finally the Konoha Nin caved. "I didn't leave her... She drove me away..." Hikaru sighed. "Her name is Chihara... She lives in a little village to the southeast of here. She is in prison for the rest of her life for a crime that wasn't her fault."

Hikaru's interest was now officially piqued. He looked at Lee, and spoke up. "Chihara was her name, right? Is the leader of that village named Maga Ayama?"

Lee jumped a bit at this. "Do you know her?"

Hikaru nodded "I was around when Chihara did what she did. Shabadaba had created quite he mess around the Moon Country so me and Father were traveling about the nation to cool down the unrest in the villages. We came to Chihara's village just after se left, all of the villagers still in something of a panic. I never knew the whole story but Maga Ayama has since been a wonderful head of that village, albeit rather rough and crude at times. She is a nice woman if you are her friend but she has proven a monster in human guise if you are her enemy. Tell me Lee-kun, what attracted you to Chihara?"

Lee blushed at this. "We were on the same ship coming here some weeks ago. She fell overboard and I saved her in the middle of a storm. She told me about her past, about what she did and I told her that I would wait for her to get free. What happened to her wasn't fair, she had no other choice. I stayed at the village until three days ago. She told me to leave, yelled at me to go live my life and leave her alone to her fate. She threw things at me just to make me go."

Hikaru sighed and sipped at his wine. "And you did?" Lee nodded "Then how can you say you love her?" Lee looked at Hikaru with confusion at these words. Hikaru explained after another sip at his wine. "I don't know much about the adult world just yet. I know my basics, how I am supposed to act and how to get around. I am a royal and thus my ways are simplified, my views largely skewed by my upbringing. Still I know that if you really love this Chihara you won't give up on her. She chased you away as a test of sorts, Lee-kun, even if she doesn't know it. If you truly love her you will go back and rescue her from a prison that she was unjustly placed in."

Lee spoke up at this. "But what about you and that one girl? You haven't chased after her and you like her!"

Hikaru smirked at this. "I haven't and that is because, unlike you, I don't yet love her. She has set no tests for me, and I haven't failed what doesn't exist. I know I may still be just a kid in the eyes of most people but I do my research. I may not seem it but I am a bit more observant than you give me credit for. You love this woman, I can tell. Still you are failing the test that she unconsciously made for you. Tomorrow we will leave for this village to the southeast. I don't think they will deny the prince a meeting, do you?" Lee couldn't help but smile at these words. Hikaru had changed a lot over the years, of that he was certain.

The next day Lee and Hikaru readied themselves to travel. Hikaru's father was worried but Lee's presence made everything easier on him. Hikaru even told his father that he would be fine as long as Lee was present and so Hikaru's father was no longer worried at all about the welfare of his son. After all Lee had been a valuable friend and guard many years before. He could have only improved since then. In no time at all Hikaru and Lee were walking from the capital. Hikaru was going in disguise, not wanting his royal aspects to be seen by others while he was out adventuring. Apparently leaving the capital under the guise of a commoner had long become something of a hobby for the young royal, Hikaru loving the fact that in such times he was not controlled by royal protocol. He could freely get in and out of trouble as he saw fit.

Lee had called for a change of wardrobe as well. Hikaru thought that Lee's clothes were a bit uncouth. After all it wasn't exactly stylish in many places to constantly wear a single piece green body suit. Now the Konoha nin, although still wearing green, was wearing a silken shirt and cotton pants, the shirt of dark green and the pants of deep blue. Hikaru had also arranged for Lee to get his hair trimmed. Now Lee didn't possess the ridiculous bowl cut he normally did but instead a rather nice, albeit short, haircut. His hair wasn't short enough to be spiked or anything but it looked much better than his previous cut. Lee didn't really mind it at all. The two traveled for a day and then stopped in at an inn for the night. Hikaru had long ago become used to standard inns, his adventures bringing him all over the Moon Country dressed as a commoner. It wasn't as if he proclaimed himself the prince of the Moon Country every time he couldn't find a bed that was comfortable enough for him after all. The two sat in the common room, drinking and talking with each other. T was all rather peaceful, really.

Just as Lee and Hikaru were ready to hit the hay, however, a sound came from the bar. "What do you mean I'm cut off? I don't think I've had enough to drink!" At the bar was a large man, maybe seven feet tall. He was angry, drunk and looked as though violence was his catch all. "I think I deserve another glass just for dealing with you crap!" Lee stood up but Hikaru gave him a signal to sit back down, standing up himself and stepping to the large man.

Slowly Hikaru put his hand on the bar. "Sir... I think you had best calm down. None of us want any trouble, now."

The large man looked down at Hikaru and grimaced. "What's a pint sized piece of shit like you gonna do if I want trouble, eh?"

Hikaru only smiled. "Listen, sir. I really don't want this to get out of hand. What say seven silver that you can just go find another place and everything will be fine?"

The man looked to be in thought at this for a moment and then a great scowl came across his face. "Oh I see now! You are tryin' to bribe me! So do I piss you off that much? Are you some kinda noble now that you can throw around your money to make anyone that pisses you off go away? I'll make that handsome young face o' yours deformed for the rest of your life!"

If only the man had known just how right he was asking if Hikaru was nobility. The large man threw a punch at Hikaru and the young prince dodged aside, leaning back from another swing and letting his foot come up into the man's jaw. It was just a tap, or so it looked, but the drunkard doubled back and held his mouth in pain. Hikaru only smiled at the man, as though waiting for him to give up. "I'll throw in a gold piece if you leave right now. Last warning, big man." The man cried out in anger and bull rushed Hikaru but as Lee stood up to help his friend Hikaru Grabbed onto the man's hand and sent him flying through the air as the he weighed nothing. Te man landed at the opposite side of the room, Hikaru walking up to him. "You really need to learn when to quit." The man again took a swing at Hikaru as he stood but Hikaru bent back in an awkward manner, avoiding the blow entirely. Another swing made Hikaru lean back farther, doing a hand stand and spinning about on his hands, kicking the man several times before bouncing back onto his feet. "I warned you." Hikaru spoke as he leaped into the air, landing hands first on the man's shoulders. Enraged the large brute reached up but Hikaru was too quick, falling down the back of the man and picking him from his feet, flinging the large man from his previous position and straight through the door of the bar. The bar was entirely silent, Lee included, but as soon as Hikaru stepped to the counter and dropped a gold piece down he broke the silence with a sentence. "That should pay for the door and your trouble. Sorry for the unneeded violence, sir."

Soon enough the bar was back at full swing again, the large brute not bothering to come back if at any point he had regained consciousness. Hikaru sat next to Lee again and the Konoha Nin sat astounded. "Where did you learn that, Hikaru-kun?"

Hikaru smiled. "In truth Father got me a martial arts teacher shortly after you guys left here. He taught me a lot but I decided to deviate from the standard style into a more fluid area of martial arts. That being said I haven't yet reached all of my goals in the field that I have chosen. I am still only mid level right now. I hope that in a few years I will master my style, even if it is a made up one."

Lee grinned at this. "I never would have thought you to be that good at martial arts."

Hikaru grinned similarly. "And I never would have thought you t be a serious romantic. We are steadily learning new things about each other we had previously not know, Lee-kun. Come on, we need to get up early tomorrow."

Another night went by. Hikaru and Lee woke early to get going, traveling through the woods. Lee would soon see the village he had left behind, the love of his life that he had unknowingly given up on yet was still going to try to win her freedom. The first day that he had traveled toward the capital Lee had moved slowly and not at all in a straight path. He had been in a daze and wasted most of the day just being stupid and brooding. In truth the trip now had only taken two days since there was less leisure in Hikaru's step then Lee would have guessed. Already Lee could hear the village noises ahead. Still they seemed angry, or pained. Lee couldn't tell. Hikaru stopped and Lee looked at him. "What is that noise?" The young man spoke. "It doesn't sound like what Ayama-san's village normally sounds like." Hikaru began to run to the crest of the hill and Lee followed. Down at the foot of the hill the little village sat in a cacophony of noises and angry yells. Lee knew something bad was happening and ran ahead, Hikaru's voice sounding after him. "Lee, don't run in without knowing what you are doing!"

Lee wasn't listening, however. He was running as fast as his legs could take him and that was considerably faster than most people could ever run. Soon enough he looked down the main street of the village and toward the end Chihara sat on her knees, facing him. Her hands were tied up to a rack and her torso was bare, covered in red lash marks. What had happened to her? Behind her a crowd of angry villagers stood, Ayama behind the young woman with a horrendous looking bull whip, taking a turn torturing Chihara. It almost seemed as though Chihara no longer cared. Only six days had gone by and already it seemed Chihara had lost any will to live. Ayama viciously whipped at Chihara's back with a look of primal glee about her face. Lee was enraged and couldn't help but to race forward just as Hikaru finally caught up. Seconds later Lee caught the thorned whip in his bare hand, pulling at it, ripping it from Ayama's hands. The crowd went silent and Lee noticed no children in the group of enraged adults. Ayama stared at Lee with disbelief. "Wh-What are you doing here?"

"What have you done to her?!?" Lee cried out. "Why do you torture her like this?" Lee steadily advanced on Ayama, some men coming up to stop him but the enraged ninja would not be sopped so easily, throwing the men aside with angry roars. "Wasn't it enough to simply lock her up? Couldn't you have just left her alone? Where does torturing a helpless young woman become a form of entertainment? His is unforgivable!" Lee raised his hand to strike Ayama but Hikaru's figure zipped past him, taking Ayama with him a few feet away.

Hikaru looked back at Lee and frowned. "Lee, I will take care of this."

Ayama scowled and spoke up. "Like hell you will, you bastard!" The village head punched at Hikaru and knocked his cloak off, noticing all too late who she had thrown a punch at. "P-Prince Hikaru! I am so sorry!"

Hikaru looked at Ayama and let her go, the tall woman falling to the ground from his arms. "Maga Ayama. What have you been doing to this girl?" Lee had already cooled down and was now tending to Chihara at the rack, untying her hands and helping the already unfeeling woman from her bindings. "Even prisoners are not to be tortured. If this young woman had any information that would be different but I know of who this woman is. I know better than to believe she is a true enemy of my country. What do you have to say for yourself? What protection can I grant you people when you needlessly flay one of your own people for no solid reason?"

Ayama crawled back, away from Hikaru and struggled with her words. "She was... She was filling the heads of our children with lies! That monster was tainting the minds of our young ones with her wretched words!"

Another man yelled out at this. "She spread rumors and informed our children to not listen to us!"

Hikaru appraised the whole crowd and spoke up. "Then I am only hearing one side of a three sided story? Clearly Tokeiya Chihara has been maimed to the degree that her words will remain invalid. I think then that the children you are so desperately worried about should have a say. I was once a child as well. I know that seldom do parents listen to the whole of the story. Still I see no children. Where are they. Your prince wishes to address them all personally."

Lee had since helped Chihara down. She was torn apart to put it lightly. Chihara was covered head to toe in lash marks. Her legs were raw being whipped, her back a horrendous show of exactly how many lashes she had taken. Lee couldn't even make out the number, there were so many, Chihara's back no longer showing whip marks but instead a simple sheet of blood red laid about her torso. Even Chihara's bare front was riddled with cuts and lash marks. Chihara's arms had been cut and Lee could tell that one of them was broken. The other arm looked to be pulled right out of its socket. What had these people done to her?

At Hikaru's request the Children of the village were sent out. All of them looked scared. All of the children were looking at the adults and then at Hikaru second. There was no question that they had been instructed to not tell the truth even to the prince himself. Still Hikaru seemed to know this, his expression unworried, but still stern. "Children of this village. What has Chihara been telling you. Tell your prince what it is that she has told you about. Is what your parents say true? Has she been telling you to ignore them? Has she been spreading lies?" None of the children spoke. They all seemed scared and Lee, standing with Chihara a ways away, could pick out various parents shaking their heads, giving the children silent instruction behind Hikaru's back. The ninja shook with rage at this. Still Hikaru noted the hesitation of the children. The mental battles that the children were having with themselves was a book that Hikaru seemed able to read and he knew that behind him the parents were silently pulling the strings of the puppets that were their own kids. Slowly he knelt down beside a child, a young girl. "Young miss. I know that what I have been told is falsehood. You don't have to lie to me, alright. Please, tell your prince what Chihara has truly said." The girl looked up at her parent but Hikaru placed his hand in her view. "Don't look to them, little girl. Tell me what she has said. I promise you won't get in trouble."

The girl nodded hesitantly and spoke up. "I was sent to feed her. Chihara-chan told me that I would understand things when I was older. She was really nice... She told me that my daddy sounded like a nice man, even if he hated her."

At that another child, a young boy no older than seven spoke up. "Chihara told me to obey my parents and that even if they whipped her they were doing the right thing. I just said that mommy was being mean because she had no reason not to like Chihara-chan."

Yet another young girl came up, and another, and more children came up, preaching Chihara's good behavior. None of them said things that were untrue. All of them simply spoke of he truths that Chihara had spread. Not to steal or hurt people. That parents were to be respected and loved. One boy even showed Hikaru a cup and ball toy that she had given him as a birthday gift. Finally Hikaru smiled and raised his hand for silence. He stood and addressed the crowd of adults. "I think I have heard all I need to know. It has become clear to me that Tokeiya Chihara's torture is well beyond uncalled for. The children of this village idolize the young woman you call a criminal only for instilling the values that you all, as parents, try to teach them anyway. It appears to me, however, that they listen to her more than you and you have all become bitter about such things. You may all think this young woman a wicked monster but that so called monster has come to dwell among much worse evils. She came back of her own free will to endure your hatred. She tries her best to teach your children the very values you stress so much and yet go against by torturing her. It seems only the children to young to remember the tragic accident that Chihara was the source of have given her and thus all of you a chance to show your true colors to me."

Maga Ayama stood up behind Hikaru, holding a great piece of wood and lifting it high. Lee stepped forward but was too slow. Ayama hit Hikaru across the face with the club and stood above him, the royal having not seen Ayama's sudden attack coming. "That monster killed my husband. She deserves this torture! She deserves to die! I don't care if the king himself sees her as innocent, I will end her life now!" Ayama stepped toward Lee and he Konoha ninja stepped up but was mobbed by villagers. Chihara was picked up and brought to Ayama, the children crying out, but helpless to sway their parent's ways. Ayame only let herself be dragged away, ready or so it seemed, to be killed. Ayama stood over her and lifted the club high into the air. "I will be rid of you NOW, you monstrous whore!!!"

The club swung down at Chihara but Lee had ripped free of the mob, catching the club in his hand. Hikaru also had raced up now standing in front of Ayama, his eyes terrible with rage, his face bleeding. He stared up at the tall woman and se froze in place, seemingly stunned by the terror that Hikaru was sending through her with his gaze. "You have not only struck me twice, but you have disobeyed my words! Maga Ayama I sentence you to death by the power vested in me by my royal bloodline! I only hope that you die a slow, painful death through whatever means I can spare to rid me of your presence." Ayama backed off and Hikaru stood to his full height. "You, as a citizen of the Moon Country, have the right to deal yourself the death that you have been sentenced to. It is your choice, Maga Ayama."

Of course Ayama wasn't going to choose either if she could get away with it and pushed her way through the crowd, throwing back a knife aimed at Chihara. The knife met flesh, but it was Lee's that it struck, not Chihara's. Even in her escape Ayama tried to kill the woman that she hated so much and Lee was unable to hold himself back any longer. He rushed through the crowd, bashing past other villagers to get to Ayama. When he reached the woman he grabbed her by the shoulder, turning her about and punching her in the face. He knife in his gut didn't stop he green beast at all and soon enough he had brutally beaten Ayama's head in, too angry to feel pain or keep himself from killing the woman who had tried so desperately to kill the woman Lee loved. When finally it was all done Hikaru walked up to Lee's side and spoke up. "Lee-kun... You need to get your stomach looked at... You're bleeding all over the place. Ayama-san is dead now. Let her go." Lee was feeling dizzy already. He dropped Ayama and walked to Chihara, not letting anyone else touch him. Lowly he sat down next to her and tears flowed freely from his eyes. Hikaru's voice calling out. "Someone get over here and help my guard! I order it!"

Chihara looked up at Lee as he loomed above her, pulling her close to him. He had come back. Lee had returned and saved Chihara. She felt as though dying know wouldn't have been so bad since she was to die in the arms of the man she had fallen for. Chihara's life had been horrible but at least her death would be pleasant. Slowly she closed her eyes and everything went black.

Still Chihara's eyes once again opened. Above her Lee stood smiling. "Lee-kun? Is that you? Are we dead?"

Lee shook his head. "No... We are both alive and well, Chihara-chan. I told you I would free you, didn't I?" Beside Lee was a woman with lavender eyes and a man with near white eyes. "This is Neji-kun and Hinata-chan. They are my friends from Konoha. Shizune-san and them came after I sent my last letter. They helped revive you."

Chihara smiled. "I'm glad. I was worried I wouldn't get to see you again. Thank you for saving me, Lee-kun."

Neji "ahemed" and lee looked at him. "Lee, what shall we do now?"

Lee smiled. He looked down at Chihara and extended a hand. "Would you like to go take a walk?" Chihara nodded and took Lee's hand but Lee didn't wait for her to get up. He swept her up bridal style as she sat up and walked out of the medical hut that they were in, setting her on her feet outside in the sun. Chihara's back didn't hurt anymore for some reason. No part of her hurt and as she looked at her arms she found them all better, no cuts, or broken limbs, nothing.

A voice called out to Chihara and she turned to see a young woman with a pig in her arms. The pig wore a little outfit and Chihara couldn't help but smile at how cute it was. "I see you are finally awake. I was able to heal most of your wounds, but you will have a scar on your back now. My name is Shizune. It's nice to meet you Chihara-chan." Chihara smiled and looked back at Lee. He nodded at her and gestured that she take a few steps. No pain. Chihara had a feeling that now that Lee was back in her life things would more than likely get much easier."

{HR}

There ya have it! He heartwarming reunion of Lee and Chihara. Honestly I just winged it this time around. I had no former thought on the chapter and wrote it in about three hours just after waking up this morning. Hope you all like it.

Yours,

Tankou001


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